Furniture-caster.



BUTCHER.

ITURE UASTER.

4Avlwnlomfron FILED snm 14, 1911.

1,019,302. Patented Mar.. 5, 191.2.v

f 111D STAWENT OFFICE.

`.LLIJFRED C. BUTCI-IER, OF STAATSBRG, NEW YORK.

FURNITURE-CASTEB.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED C. BUTGHER, citizen of the United States, residing at Staatsburg, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furniture- Casters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in furniture casters, more particularly to the class of disappearing casters, and has for one of its objects to simplify the construction and increase the eliiciency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily applied without material structural change to different styles and constructions of furniture vsuch as tables, chairs, desks, bookcases, bedsteads and the like, and which does not detract from the appearance of the article of furniture to which it is applied and which is practically invisible.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily adapted for different styles of casters either of the wheel or ball form.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved device in which a hall is used as the movable member; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 illust-rating the improved device arranged for supporting a swiveled caster.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawn ings by the same reference characters.

The improved device comprises a hollow downwardly opening shell or casing 10, preferably with a circular interior socket adapted to be inserted into a receiving socket or cavity in the article of furniture, as for instance the leg of a table as indicated conventionally at 11. The member 10 may be secured in any suitable manner within the leg 11 and projects at its lower end below the lower end of the table leg, as shown. Formed through the wall of the casing 10 at opposite sides, are vertical slots 12 each Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 14, 1911.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912. serial No. 649,317.

having lateral extensions 13 at its lower end and with an upwardly directed recess 14 at the outer end of the extension. The space between the vertical slot 12 and the recess 14 is considerable as shown, so that the major portion of the extension is correspondingly long and horizontal as shown.

Mounted for rotation within the casing 10 is a support or standard 15 which closely fits the interior of the casing and is guided thereby and is movable both vertically and rotatably within the casing. By this means the standard 15 lits the casing closely at all points of its movement both vertically and rotatably and is thereby constantly held from lateral play or Vibration. The standard 15 is designed to support the caster, and any form of caster may be employed, and for the purpose of illustration a ball caster 16 is shown connected to the standard in Figs. 1 and 2, while in Figs. 3 and 4 a swiveled caster 17 is connected to the standard. Vhen a swiveled caster is employed the standard will necessarily be of greater diameter than when the ball caster is employed, as will be obvious.

Projecting from the standard 15 are pins 18, the latter extending through the slots 12 and one or both of the pins provided with a headed stud 19 externally of the casing 10. By this arrangement it will be obvious that when the standard 15 is disposed in its lower position, the pins 18 will move to the bottom of the slots 12 and then by turning the standard to the right or left, the pins will be caused to move through the extensions 13 and upwardly into the recesses 14, the weight of the article of furniture retaining the pins in the recesses and preventing the displacement of t-he casters. The relatively long extensions 13 of the pin-receiving slots is an important feature of the improved de vice as by this means the presence of the slots and their extensions do not weaken the casing and also form a relatively long hearing for the pins during the rotary movement of the standard when transferring the pins from the vertical portion 12 of the slot to the holding recesses 14. By this means the steadiness of the action is increased and vall danger of the pins slipping back into "the slot-s 12, obviated.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured and applied to various articles of furniture without decreasing the strength of the furniture or detracting from its appearance.

What I claim is:

l. A caster comprising a hollow casing adapted to be connected to an article of furniture said casing being provided with a vertical slot having a communicating lateral extension and with an upwardly directed recess at the terminal of the lateral extension, a body mounted for rotation in said casing, a shank supported rotatively in said rotating body and carrying a caster wheel, and pins carried by the body and extending through said slots and operating through the lateral extensions and into the recess.

2. A caster comprising a hollow casing adapted to be connected to an article of furniture, said casing being provided with a vertical slot having a communicating lateral extension and with an upwardly directed recess at the terminal of the lateral extension, a caster movable rotatably and vertically in said casing, and a pin carried by said caster and operating in said slot.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED C. BUTCHER. [Ls] W'itnesses:

MARY E. HAYES, ELIZABETH KIERNAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingrthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

